Creating Ad Copy that Clicks

Editor’s Note: Guest poster, Mona Elesseily, is the author of the first Yahoo! Search Marketing Handbook. Today, she offers up four solid tips on how to develop ad copy that help make users want to click. 
 
Writing compelling ad copy is an important step in pay per click advertising. Sadly, this important step is often overlooked. Advertisers spend a lot of time selecting keywords and devising bidding strategies but often don’t invest in creating compelling ad copy. With changes to ad copy alone, I’ve seen accounts go from mediocre to stellar performance. To help get creative juices flowing, I’ll share four ways in which you can write persuasive ad copy.

Know your company’s USPs (unique selling propositions)
Figure out what makes your company different and mention the differences in your ads. For example, if your company offers same-day shipping or has a limited time offer (and your competitors don’t), include this in your ad. It’s differences like these (in products and services) that make or break sales.

Take a look at competitors’ ads
In many cases, search ads are unappealing. Try something catchier or use a different tone. A little creativity will never hurt any Sponsored Search account! In one account, I changed ad copy from this:

Flasks & Bar Accessories
Get unique bar sets, wine openers and more. Great for gifts. Order now.

To this:

Wonderful Wine Openers and Accessories
Entertain with sleek steel or soft wood for a Zen effect. Order today.

The second ad helped dramatically increase sales for two reasons. First, it was specific to wine openers. It didn’t try to sell a bunch of products (like the first version). The second reason was because the ad’s tone was appropriate to the audience it was targeting. When writing ad copy, keep in mind the type of product you’re selling and who you’re selling it to. If it’s a fun product like children’s toys, use an upbeat, cheery tone. If it’s a serious product like an enterprise software solution, use an appropriate business tone.

Appealing ad copy will make even more sense as Yahoo! Search Marketing introduces its new ranking algorithm (sometime called “marketplace design”). After the first quarter of 2006, the company will factor in bids, click through ratio or CTR (how often your ad is clicked on compared to other ads), and other factors to determine ad positioning. This could mean higher positioning and cheaper bid prices if your ad is more popular (clicked on more often) than your competitors’.

Create compelling ad copy around USPs
It takes time to come up with a compelling ad copy so give yourself reasonable time to brainstorm. Start with a few ideas. I like to write down all of a company’s unique selling propositions that I can think of. I then go about fleshing out the copy by thinking about tone (voice) and the way I want to communicate those USPs. If there’s enough room, I’ll throw in a call to action like “buy now” or “order today.”

To get creativity flowing, get a friend or co-worker to brainstorm with you. Or, jot down ad ideas in two or three short sessions. In many cases, initial ideas have inspired me to create dynamite ad copy.

Split test ads
Once you’ve found a winning ad, continually create new ads and test them against older ones. This feature is available in the new search advertising platform. I’ve seen conversion increases of 300 percent (and in some cases more) from testing alternative ads.

I know it can be a drag to brainstorm and create ad copy, but its well worth the effort. And, if you’re feeling creative, it can even be fun! Happy writing.

—Mona Elesseily, Internet Marketing Strategist, Page Zero Media